European assembly elections act, 1984

• Act Number: 6
• Enactment Date: 17 April 1984

Number 6 of 1984
EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS ACT, 1984
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section 1. Definitions. 2. Qualification of candidates, etc. 3. Replacement candidates. 4. Replacement candidates' list. 5. Delivery and withdrawal of replacement candidates' list, etc. 6. Casual vacancies. 7. Amendment of First Schedule to Principal Act. 8. Repeals. 9. Short title, collective citation and construction.
Acts Referred to Electoral Act, 1963 1963, No. 19 European Assembly Elections Act, 1977 1977, No. 30
Number 6 of 1984
EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS ACT, 1984
AN ACT TO MAKE FURTHER PROVISION AS REGARDS THE ELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES. [17th April, 1984]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
	Definitions.	1.—In this Act—
	“non-party candidate” means a candidate who is not a candidate of a registered political party;
	“the Principal Act” means the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977 ;
	“registered political party” means a party which pursuant to section 8 of the Principal Act is for the time being registered in the Register of Political Parties as a party organised to contest an Assembly election;
	“replacement candidate” means a replacement candidate for the purposes of this Act;
	“replacement candidates' list” has the meaning assigned to it by section 3 (3) (d).
	Qualification of candidates, etc.	2.—The Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution of the following section for section 7:
	“7.—(1) A person who is not eligible to become a member of Dáil Éireann or who holds the office of Attorney General shall not be eligible for election under this Act to be a representative in the Assembly.
	(2) A person who is elected under this Act to be a representative in the Assembly or who pursuant to section 6 of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1984, is to be regarded as having been so elected, and who when so elected, or when he commences to be so regarded, holds the office of—
	(a) Chairman or Deputy Chairman of Dáil Éireann or Chairman or Deputy Chairman of Seanad Éireann,
	(b) Minister of State,
	shall on such election, or, in case he is to be so regarded, on the day on which he commences to be so regarded, cease to hold that office.
	(3) If while he is a representative in the Assembly a person—
	(a) becomes subject to any of the disqualifications applicable to membership of Dáil Éireann, or
	(b) becomes the holder of an office mentioned in subsections (1) or (2) of this section,
	he shall thereupon cease to be a representative in the Assembly.”.
	Replacement candidates.	3.—(1) At an Assembly election—
	(a) a registered political party, and
	(b) a person who in relation to the election is a non-party candidate,
	may, subject to and in accordance with the following provisions of this section, nominate with his or their consent one or more persons to be as regards the election replacement candidates.
	(2) Subject to paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of this section, a person who is a candidate at an Assembly election shall be eligible for nomination as a replacement candidate.
	(3) The following provisions shall apply in relation to the nomination of replacement candidates at an Assembly election—
	(a) the number of replacement candidates to be so nominated shall not—
	(i) in the case of replacement candidates so nominated by a registered political party, exceed by more than four the number of candidates of that party standing validly nominated at the latest time for withdrawal of candidature under Rule 12 of the First Schedule to the Principal Act, and
	(ii) in the case of replacement candidates so nominated by a non-party candidate, exceed three,
	(b) a person shall not be nominated as a replacement candidate unless he is eligible for election under the Principal Act to the Assembly,
	(c) a person may not be so nominated in respect of more than one constituency,
	(d) the replacement candidates so nominated as regards a particular constituency shall be nominated by each of their name's being entered on a list (elsewhere in this Act referred to as the “replacement candidates' list”) and in nominating replacement candidates as regards a particular constituency, the registered political party or, as may be appropriate, the non-party candidate concerned, shall, subject to section 5 (4) (a) of this Act, use a single such list.
	Replacement candidates' list.	4.—(1) A replacement candidates' list shall be in the prescribed form and shall be signed by—
	(a) in case the list contains the names of one or more replacement candidates nominated by a particular registered political party, the officer or, as may be appropriate, the officers of such party whose name or names are entered in the Register of Political Parties either pursuant to section 13 (3) (c) of the Electoral Act, 1963 , or pursuant to that section as applied by section 8 (4) of the Principal Act,
	(b) in case the list contains the names of one or more replacement candidates nominated by a person who is a non-party candidate at the election, that person.
	(2) As regards a replacement candidates' list the surname of any person nominated by entry thereon as a replacement candidate shall be placed before his other name or names and the list shall also contain his address.
	(3) Where a registered political party or a non-party candidate at an Assembly election nominates more than one replacement candidate, the order in which the names of such replacement candidates appear on the relevant replacement candidates' list shall be determined by that party, or, as may be appropriate, that non-party candidate, and in applying any provision of the European Assembly Elections Acts, 1977 and 1984, in relation to the list, the names on the list shall be listed or given in the order in which they have been so determined or, as may be appropriate, regard shall be had to that order.
	(4) As may be appropriate, a replacement candidates' list shall be headed by—
	(a) where the list is signed by an officer or officers referred to in subsection (1) (a) of this section, the name together with (if the officer or officers by whom the list is signed so wish) the initials or other abbreviation (if any) by which the party concerned is known, or
	(b) in case the list is signed by a non-party candidate at the election, the name of that candidate (the surname being stated first).
	(5) A replacement candidates' list may, if the Minister so thinks proper, include—
	(a) a note of the qualifications, disqualifications and incapacities as regards election to and membership of the Assembly,
	(b) a form of declaration, to be signed by—
	(i) in case the list is signed by an officer referred to in subsection (1) (a) of this section, the officer or, as may be appropriate, the officers signing the list,
	(ii) in case the list is signed by a person who is a non-party candidate at the relevant election, that person,
	that he has read the notes and, as regards the replacement candidates nominated by entry on such list, he believes each of them to be eligible for nomination under this Act as a replacement candidate and none of them to stand validly nominated as a replacement candidate as regards any other constituency.
	(6) (a) Where a replacement candidates' list is presented to the returning officer, he shall assign to the list one or more letters for the purpose of identifying it and, when such letter or letters is or are so assigned, the replacement candidates' list to which it or they relate may (unless it is withdrawn, deemed under this Act to have been withdrawn or ruled by the returning officer as being invalid) be referred to on any ballot paper, notice or other document by reference to such letter or letters.
	(b) An assignment by the returning officer under this subsection shall not form a ground on which an Assembly election may be questioned.
	Delivery and withdrawal of replacement candidates' list, etc.	5.—(1) At an Assembly election the returning officer shall, during the usual office hours and at such place or places as are named in the Notice of Election, on each week-day during the period beginning on the publication of that notice and ending at 12 noon on the latest date for receiving nominations, provide forms for use as replacement candidates' lists, and he shall supply such a form or forms free of charge to any person applying therefore, but the use at such an election of a form supplied by the returning officer pursuant to this section shall not be obligatory: Provided that the document so used as a replacement candidates' list is in the form prescribed under section 4 of this Act or in a form to the like effect.
	(2) Each replacement candidates' list shall be delivered to the returning officer within the times specified for receiving nominations by Rule 7 of the First Schedule to the Principal Act and such delivery shall be made by—
	(a) in case the list is signed by an officer referred to in section 4 (1) (a) of this Act, the officer or, as may be appropriate, any of the officers, by whom the list was signed or any person who is as regards the Assembly election concerned a candidate of the party to which the list relates,
	(b) in case the list is signed by a person who is a non-party candidate at such election, that person or his proposer.
	(3) (a) Where the returning officer is of the opinion that a replacement candidates' list is not properly made out or signed, if the list is not amended to his satisfaction, he shall rule it as being invalid.
	(b) A decision under this subsection shall be final.
	(c) As soon as may be after the receipt by him at an Assembly election of a replacement candidates' list which...